I am firmly of the belief that the more history you study, the more open to new perspectives you become. There’s just so much complexity and nuance that we don’t get in our compulsory history education. Take the Vikings for example - total headkickers, right? THREAD! 1/
Yes, we can state that the Norse did raid & pillage. They did take, and trade slaves. However, the image that we have of them as uncivilized and wild is coming under scrutiny. The digs at Birka, Sweden, only add to the idea things were far more complex than we thought. 2/ 
Birka is a site located on the island of Björkö, in Lake Mälaren. Over a millennium ago, it was, by the standards of the age, a commercial powerhouse. Around 500 lived here year round, with numbers swelling dramatically during summer, the sailing season. /3
Historians and archaeologists have long known that Birka was a significant trading hub - digs have taken place throughout the 20th century. More high-tech scans of the underlying ground took place in the early 21st century - and the finds that are unearthed are amazing. /4
It appears that Birka was founded in the 8th century, and lasted for around 200 years before being abandoned for another community, Sigtuna. That gives archaeologists an incredible slice of time to observe for change in artefacts and remains. /5
Birka was a hive of industry, particularly in terms of textiles, metalwork and jewelry. Moulds have been found, along with tools - enough to suggest goods were being made here for export. However, Birka’s treasures are goods from across vast distances that have been found. /6
Silk, furs, metalwork, jewelry, ivory and other items from as far away as China and the Middle East have been unearthed around the foundations as houses, as well as coins from northern Germany, England and many, many silver dirhams from modern-day Iraq. 7/
Birka’s cemeteries also give a fascinating glimpse across a period of change. From ship burials and cremations, we see a transition to Christian burial, along with changes in the kind of grave goods that accompany the dead. /8
Some of the burials really stand out. ‘Birka Girl’ - now in the National Museum of Sweden - died when she was around six, in the 10th century. Her remains and grave goods tell us she was from Germany or Denmark, and very much loved - possibly the daughter of a merchant. /9
The ‘Birka Viking Warrior’, who was buried around the 10th century, stunned the world when it was revealed that the remains belonged to a woman. Her height and the weapons and grave goods buried with her indicate that she was a powerful figure. /10
There’s also some things that may shock us too - two graves, one of a woman, another of a man contain another body. Their condition suggest to us that they were slaves, executed at the time of their master’s death and interred. The slave in the male’s grave had been beheaded. /11
Viking Birka is a place that we’d find quite confronting. We’d see slaves, huddled, iron collars securing them, among other things. However, we’d also see bustling commerce and new ideas being exchanged - a far cry from the perception of the Norse as simply raiders. 12/
Birka shows us that it pays to examine the latest findings closely when attempting to understand a historical people. The nuances and complexities that artefacts and remains reveal help connect us to these people and make them more than a stereotype. /13
If you’d like to visit Birka, you can find much more information, including details on ferries and entrance prices, here. /14 birkavikingastaden.se/en/about-birka/
If you’d like to learn more about Birka, here’s a great explainer. I can send specific journal articles your way if you have specific areas of interest. /15 vikinganswerlady.com/Birka.shtml
I hope you enjoyed the thread and remember, in the words of the ‘Hávamál’: ‘Cattle die, kindred die, every man is mortal - but the good name never dies, of one who has done well’. /FIN
